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Monday, January 07, 2013

7

pretty much
ever since the coalition took power there has been an underlying attack on
those on benefits, mostly it has been aimed at the poor.

george
osborne has been quick to talking of the shirkers and spongers.

in a rare
move the con/dems are cutting child benefit to households with incomes of more
than £60,000 a year. this has caused a certain amount of consternation among
those who do have more than £60k (many of whom will be the same sort of people
who will claim that teenage pregnancy is a result of wanting to get a council
place and child benefit).the reason why
the con/dems have made this move is to help cut the welfare bill and to show
that those with the broadest shoulders will bear their share of the pain.

noble words.

you may not
know this but george osborne is worth some £4 million pound. he doesn’t have
this from all his years of hard work (he hasn’t really had much experience in
the world of work – so perfect choice for chancellor); it is as a result of a
trust fund.

you could
say that mr. osborne is not a classic striver: he was born into wealth.

his current
salary is in the region of £145,000 a year. his wife is a successful author.

in short:
they have spare cash, and then some.

yet the
osbornes have been claiming child benefit on their two kids, because they were
entitled to it.

given the
changes he has brought in mr. osborne has decided that he no longer feels that
he should be getting child benefit. so he had waived his right to collect it.
they say that timing is the essence of comedy and perhaps it is the same when
it comes to sacrifice – you make a big song and dance about giving something up
just at the point when you have brought in rules that say those over £60k can’t
have it. “i renounce my right to this benefit i am no longer entitled to!”

it must be a
great skill to be able to attack people for being spongers and abusing the
benefit system when you have been needlessly claiming child benefit because it
is an entitlement. while he has been talking of cutting the benefits of the
poor he has been trousering his child benefit. you have to admire his ability
to do that and look at himself in the mirror every morning.